Three years for Wheaton mom accused of abandoning baby

A Wheaton mother accused of abandoning her newborn son after his birth pleaded guilty Friday to obstructing justice.

Nunu Sung, a 25-year-old Myanmar native, was sentenced to three years in prison as part of a deal with prosecutors.

Sung wiped away tears as she stood before DuPage Circuit Judge Blanche Hill Fawell and admitted through an interpreter that she lied to Wheaton police last year after her child was found abandoned under a bush.

In return for the guilty plea, other charges of obstructing justice and misdemeanor endangering the life of a child were dropped.

Sung, who isn't a U.S. citizen, has no criminal history.

Her lawyer, Jeffrey York, said his client accepted the plea offer rather than fighting the allegations at trial because she has hopes of someday getting custody of her child. The 1-year-old boy, named Joshua, is in foster care.

“She's taken a very difficult sentence for herself to both stay here and eventually reunite with her child, York said.

There was a possibility that prosecutors were going to pursue more serious felony charges against Sung if she had rejected the plea offer, according to York.

“(That) would have been devastating to her criminally, her immigration status and with the kid, York said. “She would have lost everything if we had lost at trial.

Prosecutors said Sung abandoned the infant early June 12, 2009, after she gave birth behind a garage outside her cousin's apartment on Crescent Street in Wheaton. A neighbor called 911 after he and his dog discovered the nude baby, his umbilical cord still attached, covered in dirt under a bush.

Authorities said an unwed Sung became pregnant while living in Texas. Sung didn't receive prenatal care during her pregnancy, which she hid from relatives after moving to Wheaton from Texas in February 2009.

Up until Friday's sentencing, Sung was allowed supervised weekly visits with her son. The father hasn't expressed an interest in pursuing custody, officials said.

As part of the plea deal, officials won't seek to terminate Sung's parental rights based on what has happened.

It's unclear if Sung will be allowed to see the child while she is in prison. She has been getting counseling and taking classes as part of her effort to gain custody.

“She's been cooperative and made progress, York said.

Sung's family members declined to comment after the sentencing.